I posted this picture on my personal Instagram a couple of weeks ago after a great workout and I loved the shape my muscles started taking. I was talking about loving yourself through fitness. I want to chat about that tonight. Likely because being honest, I feel like I need to take a bit of my own advice today.

As I said in the post, fitness isn't about hating yourself. It's not about hating something so much that's it's enough to motivate you into fitness. Most of us get into fitness with the thought "I just need to loose these X amount of pounds", "If I could just get rid of X". Starting our journey's with negative thoughts about ourselves.

Then somewhere along the lines, one, two or maybe 5 weeks later we stop or slow down. Progress isn't happening, we still hate X so what's the point of all this effort for no reward?

During those past weeks what were you saying to yourself? "Ugh I hate X, so I gotta push through what my trainer said" "Dig deep and one day it will be better"? If we are always focusing on the negative and the things we hate, that thing is sure to stay there. You know when you buy a new car and you see it everywhere? Or you get pregnant and you see pregnancy everywhere? You see it everywhere, because its what you are thinking about. It's on your mind, so you make it come to fruition in real life. Now take that and apply it to actual self thoughts. If you think "I'm fat" or "I feel strong" then that is what you will be.

Fitness should be celebrating what you love. My entire life I hated my legs. Thought I had thunder thighs. No matter how skinny I became or what I did, they were just terrible. What do I love now? My legs. I love the muscle they have, the shape they give my body and the strength they hold for the crazy things I put my body through. I can assure you they are not smaller nor much bigger then they have been my entire life, but I have chosen to embrace them. I found a form of fitness that embraces that part of my body and makes me feel good.

I dare you to go to your mirror now and find at least one thing about your body you love. You may see the things you don't love so much, but that's fine. Accept that thought and move on. Don't stay to long there. Find what you love. Your arms? Are they strong and capable of carrying 35 lbs toddlers? Your shoulders? Are they broad, full of pride and give you beautiful posture? Your feet? Are they wide to keep you sturdy and great for balancing in yoga? Find something that you love.

Find that something you love and build from there with your fitness. Do you love your strong powerful legs? Try running with them. Squatting with them. Your shoulders and arms feel great? Maybe try swimming or yoga. If we all took the time to work on the things we love instead of the things we hate I bet you we would all come further, faster. The more you work toward that, the easier the rest comes.

That is what falling in love with fitness is about I think. Why some people it clicks for them and can't stop working out. They found that thing that makes it a part of them. Also why people try and it fails. You may not have found the fitness you love yet. The way to move your own body and it make you feel good inside and/or out.

I love weightlifting and yoga personally, but you might like Zumba, powerlifting, swimming, crossfit, pilates, running or a combination! In tise day in age we are in of Groupons for all types of fitness just go and try them all until you find something that works. Something that makes you feel good. That makes you go home and say "wow I could do X because my X"